Paper-folding machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. H. GILSONSv P. E. REED. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 533,218. Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

(No Model!) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. H. GILSON & P. E. REED.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

I V NTURH .(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

P. H. GILSON 8v P. E. REED.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 533,218. Patented Jan. 29; 1895.

INVEIN'TDRS x ii WITNESSES} llnirnn STATES PATENT DFFICE.

FRANKLIN H. GILSON, OF WELLESLEY, AND FRANCIS E. REED, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,218, dated January29, 1895.

Application filed March so, 1894. Serial No. 505,749. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANKLIN I-I. GILSON, of Wellesley, in the countyof Norfolk, and FRANCIS E. REED, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Paper-Folding Machines, of which the following isspecification.

The prime object of this invention is to provide means in a paperfolding machine to prevent wrinkling of the paper in folding. In foldingpaper, as sheet-music, where one sheet is folded a number of times,after it has been twice folded the leaves will be confined so thatsubsequent folding produces wrinkles along the the preceding fold. Toobviate this wrinkling the leaves must be disengaged so as to allow themto adjust themselves to the change in their relation effected by thefold. At the same time it is not desirable to com pletely sever theleaves as they would then have to be separately folded and additionalmechanism would be required. It is highly desirable that the sheet bekept in one piece in its passage through the folding machine, forobvious reasons.

l/Vith the above in view the present inven-' tion contemplates formingaline of separated slits in the paper along the line of the one foldwhich will free the leaves from each other sufficiently to obviatewrinkling in making the next fold, enough paper being left between theslits to hold the leaves together while a folding blade acts on thepaper on the line of the slits.

The invention consists in certain novel arrangements and combinations ofparts for satisfactorily accomplishing the above-stated object, whichare recited in the appended claim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows asectional view of a portion of a folding machine withthe improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the sameportion of the machine. Fig. 3 shows a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.Fig. at shows an enlarged sectional detail of the rotary slittingdevice. Fig. 5 shows a detail elevation of the blade of the slittingdevice. Fig. 6 shows a sectional detail of a blade of slightly modifiedconstruction. Fig. 7 shows a plan view of fingers and their support forholding the paper against one of the rolls. Fig. 8 illustrates theaction of the slitting device on the paper. Fig. 9 shows the product ofthe machine.

In the drawings the letters, a, and a", designate theprimary foldingrolls of a folding machine of the well-known type such as commonlyemployed in folding printed sheets; and the letters, I), and Z),designate a second set of folding rolls whose axes extend at rightangles to those of the rolls, a, and a. The paper, 2, is laid over atable, o, and taken down between the rolls, a, and a, by a foldingblade, as usual, and passes thence over the rolls, b, and 1), betweenwhich it is folded by another blade, and then the paper passes to otherfolding devices, all in the well-known way.

In furtherance of the design of this invention the following devices areemployed in connection with the above:

A sleeve, (1, is mounted on the journal of the roll, a, the latter beingcut out at the middle to receive this sleeve and allow longitudinaladjustment thereof. The sleeve is affixed to the journal of the roll bya set-screw, cl, and the peripheral surface is flush with that of theroll. The said sleeve is formed with an annular groove, 01 A rotaryslitting device has its blade engaged in said groove and said slittingdevice is of the following construction: Its blade, e, is annular andformed around its periphery with a series of separated cutting sections,6', the peripheral edges only of which are sharpened to cut. The spaces,e between the cutting sections e are bounded by non-cutting edges. Thesecutting sections, e, may be beveled on one side only, as shown in Fig.4,to produce the cutting edges, or may be beveled on both sides, as shownin Fig. 6. The blade, 6, is clamped between rubber disks, f, by means ofinterlocking screw-threaded thimbles, f, having flanges to confine thedisks.

The above described slitting device is loosely mounted on a stud orspindle, g, which engages the smooth bore of the inner thimble, f. Theslitter may move both longitudinally and rotatively on the spindle, g,and receives its rotary motion by light engagement of the rubber disks,f, with the sleeve, d. Lon gitudinal adjustment of said sleeve effectslongitudinal adjustment of the slitter by reason of the engagement ofthe latters blade, e, in

the groove, C1 and by this means the line in which said blade is to slitthe paper is determined so as to insure coincidence of such line withthat on which the second fold is made.

The stud or spindle, g, is affixed in ears, h, of a bracket, h, and thelatter is fastened to the frame of the machine by a bolt, 7%, engagingaslot, h in the bracket. This slot provides for lateral adjustment of theslitter tangentially with respect to the sleeve d to determine theextent of entrance of the blade, 6, into the groove, 01 and thereby thedepth of penetration of the blade into the paper, the number of layersof paper to be slit varying, and slitting of all the layers not beingalways necessary.

The slitter is located under the roll, a, and

in the operation of the machine the folded the fold, and should itencounter the slitting blade while thus sagging or bulging, a slightwrinkle might be made. To avoid this, fingers, j, are arranged to hugthe roll, a, on

each side of the slitter and thereby hold the paper close to the roll.These fingers are adj ustably fastened in a holder, j, being passedthrough holes drilled therein and secured by set-screws, 7'

frame of the machine by a bolt, 9' extending Said holder is fastened tothe through a slot, in the holder, said slot providing for lateraladjustment of the fingers. Through the means described a perfectadjustment of the fingers to the roll, a, can be secured. The paper, 2,having left the roll, a, and slitter, is acted upon by a folding bladewhich strikes it on the line of the slits, 3, and takes it down betweenthe rolls, b, and b. The connecting necks, 4, prevent severance of thepaper. WVhen the third fold, 5, is made in the paper the slits along thesecond fold, 6, free the leaves allowing adjustment thereof to suittheir new relation, the necks, 4, twisting slightly. (See Fig. 9.)Hence,

. there will be an. absence of Wrinkles along the second fold.

It will be seen that the object primarily stated is accomplished by theconstruction described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a folding machinethe combination of a primary set of folding rolls,one having an annular groove, a rotary cutter whose blade engages saidgroove, fingers hugging the grooved roll on each side of the cutter, andadapted to press the paper against the roll and a holder for saidfingers in which they are adjustably secured longitudinally, and. whichis itself adj ustable to vary the lateral position of the fingers.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of March, A. D.1894.

FRANKLIN H. GILSON. FRANCIS E. REED.

Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, F. P. DAVIS.

